Galilee and City Make Single Mom's Dream of Home Ownership a Reality

SAN ANGELO, TX - In collaboration with the City of San Angelo Development Corporation, Galilee CDC hosted an open house to showcase the new home volunteers built under the Affordable Housing Assistance Program or AHAP. With this partnership, a single mom and her two children have the opportunity to own a new home at a very affordable price. The goal of this program is to help first-time buyers fulfill a goal they may have seen as impossible before.[[{"fid":"28407","view_mode":"default","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"(LIVE Photo/Sonia Ramirez)","height":"622","width":"1118","style":"width: 719px; height: 400px;","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

The program itself has three main goals volunteers work hard to achieve. The first one is to increase the number of homeowners in the neighborhoods of Blackshear, Reagan, Fort Concho and Rio Vista. By facilitating the process of building a home, the City and Galilee CDC are helping neighborhoods transform empty or run down lots into a beautiful home that will help the appearance of the neighborhood, and eventually inspire other homeowners to make changes and renovations to their own homes.

“As these homes are being built, the neighborhoods are getting better in this area,” said City Council Member Lucy Gonzales.

Assisting buyers in the process of purchasing new homes with the use of the half-cent sales tax revenue, the houses become affordable and a reality for families who might otherwise struggle if they had to undergo this process alone. The funds allocated in the Home Funds program also provide Galilee the opportunity to continue building these homes. First Financial Bank and Crockett National Bank are the two local entities that collaborate with Galilee to help families finance their new houses.

While this is a great initiative that has already yielded 43 homes in nearly 10 years with the collaboration of the City and Galilee, it is a long process that requires patience and the willingness to undergo all the steps that lead to the new home. Those who are interested in the program must be first-time buyers; then they must be preapproved for a loan that would cover the cost of the lot and be willing to be on a waiting list that may extend up to two years.

In order to qualify for the program, prospective homeowners must fill out an application with Galilee and work alongside Stephanie Hamby, Director of Client Services, to ensure they meet all the requirements. Things such as debt to income ratio, living in San Angelo for at least a year and not have incomes that surpass 80 percent of the Area Median rule established by the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) are all important requirements.

After homeowners are pre-approved, they are placed on the waiting list for up to two years. About two months before they are set to be the next family to receive the aid, they must look for a lot of land in the designated neighborhoods that can be purchased from the City, Galilee or a private owner. After they find a suitable location, Galilee provides a series of layout plans from which the family can choose. After that, they have the opportunity to select flooring and other details that allow them to build a home they love. They must also partake in a minimum of 50 hours of sweat equity in which they help clean up the lot the house will be built on, and in any area they are needed. New homebuyers must also attend Homebuyer Education programs to ensure they are knowledgeable in the subject of financing a new home and all that entails.

“This is one example of government that works,” Mayor Dwain Morrison said. “If you can always give someone a hand up, it works.”

The homes are also very affordable. For example, the new home in the Blackshear neighborhood will yield a mortgage of approximately $525 a month. This payment includes not only the mortgage cost but also insurance, property taxes and interest. As the new homeowners begin to pay into their loans, they add to the property tax revenue that helps continue to fund the future construction of other homes. This home in particular features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen, garage and an extensive backyard.

“It makes you want to work as a human being, just to know that you can work towards something [a goal] that is reachable,” Gonzales commented.

Terry Shaner, Executive Director of Galilee CDC, explained that one of the organization's main goals is to “update the neighborhood” and “make it a place people want to live in.” The organization has been able to help transform the visual appeal of neighborhoods and create beautiful homes that promote target areas. Galilee is also involved in the Helping Hands initiative that provides assistance and repairs the homes of older individuals in the area. Members provide help to elders with renovations and other maintenance work that allows their homes to stay up to date even if the owners are not able to physically help with the process. Next Saturday, April 1, they will be helping out several homes in the Blackshear neighborhood and welcome any volunteers. Those interested can contact Galilee at (325) 655-6700.

“This is a huge program we love to do,” Hamby said; “and we couldn’t do it without the City’s help."